To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Sunday, June 25, 2023
Ed Killer / tcpalm South Fla. Report
Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:
- Red snapper: July 14-15. One fish per angler per day. No minimum or maximum size limits.
- Lobster: Season closed April 1. Two-day sport season (mini-season) opens July 26-27. Regular season opens Aug. 6.
- Snook: Harvest closed June 1. Reopens Sept. 1. One fish bag limit, 28-32 inches, snook stamp required.
- Grouper: Harvest opened May 1. Includes gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest closes Jan. 1, 2024.
- Hogfish: Harvest opened May 1. Harvest closes from Nov. 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024.
- Cobia: New bag and size limits for state waters. Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inches fork length.
- Spotted seatrout: Harvest opened Jan. 1 in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Harvest closes November and December 2023.
- Redfish: Harvest of redfish is banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon beginning Sept. 1. FWC will reevaluate later in the year.
- Alligator: Hunt season opens Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits required.
- Dolphin: Bag limit is five fish per day per angler. Vessel limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in limit. These fishing regulations began on May 1, 2022, for state waters.
- Tilefish: Harvest opened on Jan. 1.
- Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch-and-release.
For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.
Indian River County
Freshwater: High water temperature is slowing the bass bite in area lakes and ponds. Fish for bluegill, shellcracker and warmouth by using red worms or live crickets on cane poles.
St. Lucie County
Inshore: Tarpon and Goliath grouper can be caught around the Turning Basin at night on small live baits. Fish the baits to the bottom for the goliaths. Tarpon will take baits at the top of the water column. Tripletail can be caught around channel markers when the current is moving.
Surf: The week of west wind seemingly made the sargassum seaweed disappear. Clear beaches left behind have been good for the beach fishers who are enjoying some of the best whiting fishing of the year so far. Use pieces of shrimp or Fishbites for action.
Martin County
Inshore: Snook fishing is very good throughout the southern Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River. Snook are starting to head down to the inlet and offshore wrecks for spawning season, but travel back and forth more frequently than we think. Live bait isn't necessary. Plenty of snook will take artificial lures. Use topwater plugs if in shallow water and jigs if working around the bridges.
Lake Okeechobee
There is plenty of microcystis algae floating around in the center and southern parts of the lake. Stay in the north and west sectors where fish are oriented towards habitat and drop-offs where they can cool down. Bluegill and shellcrackers are around the bulrushes and lilies taking crickets.
- report courtesy of Ed Killer is florida today's outdoors writer. Friend Ed on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.
Sebastian Inlet Report
Look for jacks, blues, reds, tarpon, snappers and more as the water cleans up
Here we go with the report for the inlet. The good news: the sargassum weed is STILL gone. No weeds to contend with! The inlet is still pretty active with all the small bait fish arriving, and the predators that follow. Mullet are running the beaches. In the inlet, small schools of minnows and greenies are everywhere, especially in the back of the inlet and along the shorelines. The water has been mostly clean and is creeping up to seasonal temperatures, about 82 degrees. That's a good sign. The breakdown:
North Jetty: Here, the bite is best during the early morning high tide. Spanish mackerel were caught on live greenies, freeline, under a bobber of some sort, or without. Most of the fish were in the 15 to 16” inch range. Also, the lookdowns were still biting on small green or white jigs fished around the rocks at the tip. Some catch-and-release snook were also caught on live mojarras and the small croakers. Fishing with dead shrimp? Atlantic spadefish are still around. This is the time of year when they appear in large schools and can be seen swimming around the jetty. Anglers are also catching small mangrove snappers on live greenies or cut dead greenies along the pilings and at the tip in the rocks. Most are at the 10-inch mark or just under and have to be released. Just a few have made the cut to go home. Also there have been some lady fish around to keep it busy for some folks. Not a good eating fish, but fun to catch because they jump so much. Some people call them the "poor man’s tarpon". They will bite anything thrown out. Outgoing tide at the tip has been mostly catch and release snook and some redfish on live baits of all flavors. Jack crevalle, blue runners, catfish and stingrays make up the list of guests as well. Some small mangrove snappers are being caught as well fishing live and cut greenies in the rocks. As I mentioned in my last report, thieving barracudas are starting to arrive, cruising the jetty for a quick meal! Watch out if you hook a mackerel or snapper as they just might steal it from you.
South Jetty: Here, most of the action is during the incoming tide where the catch-and-release snook and redfish are playing well. Live baits of all sorts are getting the bite. Also, I saw small tarpon hooked and/or caught in the evenings on swim baits. These fish are protected. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife rules and regulations, fish over 40 inches should not be removed from the water for any reason. I hear about a couple more flounder caught on this side: the beach area is the spot when the water is clean. Small white feather jigs and rubber swim baits. Most were around the 14 to 15-inch range for the summer flounder. Outgoing tide at the tip has been all about the black margates, blue runners and jack crevalle. For those fishing live mojarras and croakers, the snook have been playing, too. Stingrays and catfish have been around, especially when the water dirties up.
T-Dock: Snappers are active around the dock pilings. Cut baits and small greenies are accounting for the catches, but shrimp will work as well. Most are mangroves, but they’ve been too small to keep - just at or under the 10 inch minimum. Small muttons have been caught, but they, too, have been under the 18-inch minimum to keep. On the incoming tide, there have been Spanish mackerel caught on the live greenies and small white jigs fished on ultralight tackle. Blue runners, jack crevalle and ladyfish are around to keep things interesting. For those that like snook fishing, incoming and the first of the outgoing have been good for catch-and-release. Live mojarra and croakers are the baits for them.
Surf area, both sides: The water has still been a little silted up, despite calmer conditions. If you can find some clean water and a good trough line, pompano and whiting are a possibility. Sand fleas and cut shrimp will work for them. In clean water, schools of glass minnows are visible as they start migrating down the beach. If you find them, fish small swim baits, live baits or small jigs and you just might have some action. Spanish mackerel, tarpon, snook and a host of other predators follow and feen on them.
That's it for this week. Unsettled weather is predicted this week. Be aware, as conditions can change quickly. Stay safe, be well and have a great week.” — Snookman
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
From Todd, Morgan, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
INSHORE: Catch and release snook fishing remains the best bet inshore right now. Some big fish cruising seawalls right now; and a properly presented topwater plug can draw some jaw dropping explosions. Typically the best action on the snook will be early morning and late afternoon, but don't overlook tide changes and approaching storms as well. At night the snook have been biting well around the bridges. A flair hawk is always a good choice, but the snook have really been smashing the 3" NLBN swimbait this week. Mangrove snapper continue to bite pretty well, especially at night. Live shrimp and small pilchards are the best bait for the mangroves. Look for the mangrove snapper to bite best around structure (bridges, seawalls, pilings, etc) with a moderate amount of current.
SURF/PIER: A little more action along the beach and at the pier this week with improving water conditions. A little more bait around (primarily pilchards0 this week which always help. The snook are in the inlets decently, and have started to move along the beach a little better as well. Sightfishing the snook in the trough is starting to become a viable option. Fishing live pilchards in the beach is also a good way to go. The Juno Beach Pier has had a god number of blue runners around, along with a few scattered Spanish Mackerel. The snook are also staring to get right at the pier as well. A live sandperch is a great way to go for a big snook right now. Small pieces of fresh shrimp on a very small hook with light leader is the way to go for catching perch and whiting.
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Friday, June 16, 2023
Sebastian Inlet Report
Cleaner water brings back the action! Look for jacks, blues, spadefish, catch-and-release snook
Our trusty fishing guide and snook-hunting legend, “Snookman” Wayne Landry gives us the lowdown on the fishing scene at Sebastian Inlet. First, he gives advice about staying hydrated and staying clear of Goliath groupers:
“I'd like to start off with a safety tip for you all today. Summer is coming and the heat is here. If you are going to be out for an extended period of time, either fishing or beaching it, bring an umbrella or some kind of shade to block the sun, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and safe. At the inlet on Sunday, a person passed out and we had to call EMS to secure the situation. And remember, canopies and cabanas are prohibited on the jetty, but umbrellas are allowed (they cannot be attached to the railings or any part of the structure). Now for the good news on the fishing. Yes, I said GOOD news!
North jetty: To begin, I'd like to point out that targeting Goliath grouper on the jetty is PROHIBITED. It is one of the rules for fishing the north jetty. The reason for the rule is to protect the species from harm as they are federally protected and managed, and there is really no safe way to land them and safely release them. I saw two killed last year, and it just broke my heart. So far, the sargassum weed is still gone! Last week began slow due to the dirty water, but by Friday small swells and light winds cleared the water. There were a lot of small mullet swimming around the jetty and few nice schools of small greenies everywhere. Lots of cow nose rays were swimming around the jetty as well. It is that time of the year where they are migrating down the coast to spawn.
Now for the fishing: Outgoing tide early in the morning at the tip was producing some nice catch-and-release snook on live mojarras and small croakers. On Saturday, at the tip, there were a couple of nice black drum caught on live shrimp on the outgoing as well. Jack crevalles, blue runners and Atlantic spadefish were caught on dead shrimp. On the incoming tide, there were quite a few tarpon rolling around the tip of the jetty heading north up the beach, but none were hooked up. A few nice sheepshead and Atlantic spadefish were caught between the pilings on cut shrimp, incoming tide as well. Also, the mangrove snappers are starting to show up, but most are just under the 10-inch minimum size limit to keep. But that's a good sign! Also, there have been several mutton snappers caught on both tides, but they too have been too small to keep. The minimum on them is 18 inches overall. Due to all the greenies around the jetty and the smaller minnows present, there have been quite a few nice lookdowns being caught on ultralight tackle on small white and green jigs, on the incoming tide at the tip. Not much to them, but a tasty fish to eat. No limits on them. There have also been some Spanish mackerel around, but not many to the silty water. Anglers also caught palometas over the weekend on the high tide, ocean side of the jetty. They look like a small pompano, but they aren't; they have three slightly visible vertical stripes on their sides and long orange and black dorsal and anal fins. They don't get very big, but they are good to eat if you can catch a batch of them. They are an "unregulated" species, so they have no size limit or bag limit. And for those of you looking for a big fish to mess with, some big barracudas are starting to roam around. They can be caught on big live baits, or various colors of big tube lures thrown at them.
South jetty: Here, the fishing has also picked up quite a bit. Outgoing tide at the tip they’re catching black margates, blue runners, some mangrove snappers, jack crevalle and a couple of nice pompano. The mangroves for the most part have been too small to keep on this side as well. Also caught at the tip, on both tides, along the rock shoreline, were catch-and-release snook and redfish. Live mojarras and small croakers have been the baits of choice. On Saturday, I saw someone catch a 24-inch flounder. It is that time of the year for the summer run of those fish. Also remember they have to be 14 inches to be kept.
Catwalks, both sides remain closed by the Florida Department of Transportation.
T-Dock area: The fishing is improving daily. With all the small glass minnows, greenies and mojarras around and the water cleaning up, there has been a flurry of action. Both tides around the dock pilings they’re catching snappers on small live and cut baits. Mangroves and muttons are the flavors, but most of them have been too small to keep. As I previously mentioned, that's a good sign! Spanish mackerel are also a possibility on small live baits fished with a float, or with small jigs of various materials, hair of soft plastics. Jack crevalles and some blue runners are there to play, too. The catch-and-release snook are around for those hardcore snookers. Incoming and the very beginning of the outgoing on live mojarras is your best bet. Flounder are showing up around the south jetty and time it’s for the summer run: they could be a possibility back here around the sandy areas. Any small live bait or small rubber jig will entice them.
Surf area, both sides: I haven't heard much from the surf guys and gals. The water, though calm, is still silted up. The only thing that bites in such conditions are largely catfish and stingrays. Watch out for possible bait schools migrating down the beaches this time of year. You might encounter tarpon, snook and redfish around them. Fish live baits if you have them, or medium to large plastic swim baits.
That's all I have today, and I'm glad it is better than what it was. It can only improve as we enter summer and the water conditions improve. Grab your gear, get out to your favorite honey hole and enjoy our fishing, beaches and what Florida has to offer!” — Snookman
